


The High Lord: An Alternate Ending

by ChemistBee



Category: Black Magician Trilogy - Trudi Canavan
Genre: F/M, Fanfic, Fanfiction, Magic, Pregnancy, Pregnant, Surprise pregnancy, chemistbee, power
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-05-02 13:13:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19199548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChemistBee/pseuds/ChemistBee
Summary: An alternate ending to The High Lord, the third and final book of The Black Magician Trilogy.  I love happy endings so I thought why not give Akkarin and Sonea one!





	1. The High Lord - Chapter 38: The Black Magicians

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter, and probably the next few after it, are basically the same as Trudi Canavan's chapter 38,39 and the epilogue, however I changed and added bits to achieve the happy ending!  
> None of these characters are mine - they all belong to Trudi Canavan.  
> Enjoy!

For the last hour, messengers had reported that the Ichani were slowly making their way towards the Guild, destroying houses as they went. Sonea and Akkarin has hurried to the volunteers, who had dealt with their swift visit with admirable tolerance and courage, then raced back to the Inner Circle. During the journey Sonea has burned with impatience, but as she stepped through the secret door into Lorlen’s office she began to wish the journey hadn’t passed so quickly. Suddenly her knees were weak, her hands were shaking, and she could not help feeling there must be something they had forgotten to do.  
Akkarin paused for a moment to look around the office. He sighed, then shrugged out of his shirt. Sonea pulled the dress over her head and dropped it to the floor. She looked down at herself and shivered. Full magician’s robes... black magician’s robes...  
Then she looked at Akkarin. He stood straighter, taller. A little trill ran down her back, similar to the fear he had once inspired.  
Akkarin glances at her and smiled. ‘Stop leering at me.’  
Sonea blinked innocently. ‘Me? Leering?’  
His smile widened, then it faded away. He walked up to her and pressed his hands gently against the sides of her face.  
‘Sonea,’ he began, ‘if I don’t—‘  
She put a finger to his lips, then pulled his head down so she could kiss him. He pressed his lips hard to hers, then drew her close against him.  
‘If I could send you far away, I would,’ he said. ‘But I know you’d just refuse to go. Just... don’t do anything impulsive. I watched the first woman I loved die, I don’t think I could survive losing the second.’  
Sonea drew in a breath in surprise, the smiled.  
‘I love you, too.’  
He chuckled, then kissed her again, but they both froze as a mental voice blared out.  
—Akkarin! Akkarin! What a pretty place you have here.  
An image of the Guild Gates, and the University beyond, flashed into Sonea’s mind.  
‘They’re here,’ Akkarin muttered. His arms slid from her shoulders.  
‘The Arena?’  
He signed and pressed his lips together in defeat. ‘It’s that or the city,’ he looked at her and offered his hand, ‘come on, we’d better be quick.’  
Sonea took Akkarin’s hand and straightened her shoulders. With a deep breath they set off through the University towards the Arena.

‘So they’ve finally arrived,’ Balkan murmured.  
Rothen looked out at the city. The late afternoon sun sent long shadows across the streets. As he watched, three men stepped out and started towards the Guild Gates.  
‘What did Akkarin and Sonea plan to do once the Ichani knew they were here, Dorrien?’ Balkan asked.  
‘I don’t know. They never discussed it.’  
Balkan nodded. ‘Time for us to leave, then.’  
Yet he did not move, and neither did Rothen and Dorrien. They stood and watched as the three Ichani passed between the gates and strode towards the University.  
‘Then, from below, came a hollow boom.  
‘What was that?’ Dorrien exclaimed.  
They leaned over the façade and look down. Rothen caught his breath as he saw the pair on the steps below.  
‘Sonea! And Akkarin.’  
‘They’ve closed the University doors,’ Balkan said.  
Rothen shivered. The University doors hadn’t been closed for centuries.  
‘Should we call out and let them know we’re here?’ Dorrien asked quietly.  
‘Knowing you two are watching could be a distraction to Sonea.’ Balkan warned.  
‘But I can use my powers now. I can help them.’  
‘So can I,’ Rothen added. Dorrien glanced at him in surprise, then grinned.  
Balkan frowned. ‘I would like to communicate the fight to the rest of the Guild.’  
‘Dorrien and I will keep out of sight until we have an opportunity to help,’ Rothen suggested.  
Balkan nodded. ‘Very well. Just be mindful of the moment you choose.’

The forest surrounding the Guild was striped with golden light. Twigs cracked under Gol’s feet so frequently, Cery began to wonder if his second was deliberately trying to make a lot of noise. He glanced back and couldn’t help smiling at the big man’s strained expression.  
‘Don’t worry,’ Cery said. ‘I’ve been here before. We should be able to watch without being seen.’  
Gol nodded. They continued on. As Cery saw glimpses of buildings through the trees ahead, he quickened his stride. Gol fell a little behind.  
Then Cery saw a figure crouching beside a tree trunk at the edge of the forest. He stopped and signalled to Gol to stay where he was and remain silent.  
By the way Savara was cautiously peering round the tree, Cery knew she was anxious to avoid being discovered. Too late, he thought. He crept forward. When he was a few steps away from her, he straightened and crossed his arms.  
‘We can’t seem to stop running into each other, can we?’ he said.  
It was gratifying to see her jump. She let out a sigh of relief as she saw him.  
‘Cery.’ She shook her head at him disapprovingly. ‘It’s not wise to sneak up on magicians.’  
‘Isn’t it?’  
‘No.’  
‘You’ve come to see the show, then?’  
She smiled crookedly. ‘That’s right. Join me?’  
He nodded. Beckoning to Gol, Cery crouched by the trunk of the other tree. As he saw what lay beyond, he felt his heart sink.  
The University doors were closed and Sonea and Akkarin stood on the steps. The three Ichani were less than a hundred paces from the, advancing confidently.  
‘You and your friends have done well,’ Savara murmured, ‘if this is all that remains of Kariko’s allies. Perhaps you have a chance after all.’  
Cery smiled grimly. ‘Perhaps we do. We’ll just have to see.’

***

Sonea blinked as an image of herself and Akkarin, seen from above, entered her mind. From the angle of the view, the watcher must be behind them, on top of the University. She caught a sense of Balkan’s personality, but no thoughts or emotions.  
—If we can sense this, so can the Ichani.  
—Yes, Akkarin replied. Block out the images. Thye’ll s=distract you.  
—But it will alert us to any trick the Ichani try.  
—And warn the Ichani of ours.  
—Oh. Should you tell Balkan to stop?  
—No. The Guild should see this. They might learn—  
‘Akkarin.’  
Kariko’s voice echoed across the grounds.  
‘Kariko,’ Akkarin replied.  
‘I see you’ve bought your apprentice. Do you intend to trade her life for your life?’  
A chill ran over Sonea’s skin as the Ichani looked at her. She stared right back, and he smiled maliciously.  
‘I might consider taking her,’ Kariko continued. ‘I never liked my brother’s taste in slaves, but he did show me that the Guild magicians can be surprisingly entertaining.’  
Akkarin slowly started down the steps. As Sonea followed, she took care to stay within the blended magic of their shield.  
‘Dakova was a fool for keeping me,’ Akkarin said, ‘but he was always making stupid mistakes. It was hard to understand how a man with such power could have so little grasp of politics or strategy, but I guess that is why he was Ichani – and why he kept me.’  
Kariko’s eyes narrowed. ‘You? I don’t think so. If you are a master of strategy, why are you here? You must know you can’t win?’  
‘Can’t we? Look around you, Kariko. Where are all your allies?’  
As Akkarin and Sonea reached the bottom f the steps, Kariko stopped. He was about twenty strides away.  
‘Dead, I suppose. And you killed them.’  
‘Some.’  
‘You must be worn out, then.’ Karkio glanced at the other Ichani, then back at Akkarin. ‘What a perfect end to our conquest. I will avenge my brother’s death, and at the same time Sachaka will finally have revenge for what your Guild did to our land.’  
He lifted a hand, and the other Ichani followed suit. Strikes flashed towards Sonea and Akkarin. She felt magic batter their shield, more powerful than any strike she had encountered before. But their combined shield was stronger than any shield she had created before, thanks to the magic taken from the arena. Akkarin sent a trio of strikes in reply but all curved inwards towards to attack Kariko.  
More exchanges followed, and the air hummed with power. As Akkarin continued striking at Kariko and ignoring the other Ichani, the leader frowned. He said something to his companions. They moved closer, leaving only a narrow gap between their shields.  
—Strike Karkio from beneath, Akkarin instructed.  
As Sonea sent a heatstrike through the earth, Akkarin sent more curving down n Kariko from above. The other Ichani shifted their shields to meet Akkarin’s strikes just as the ground began to steam beneath Kariko’s feet.  
Karkio glanced down, then said something quietly. His companions increased their attack.  
—Keep striking at Kariko from all directions.  
Kariko appeared to have resigned himself to being the main target. He concentrated on shielding, while the others attacked. Sonea resisted a smile. This was all to her and Akkarin’s advantage. Shielding took more power, so Kariko would be tiring faster.  
It seemed they would stand and blast each other until one side finally weakened. Then the ground shifted violently beneath her. She staggered and felt a hand grab her arm. Looking down, she saw a dark hole forming below her feet and sensed a disc of power.  
—Hold the shield.  
She forced her attention back to their barrier, taking the full brunt of the Ichani’s attack so that Akkarin could concentrate on levitating. The air was full of grass and dirt and strikes. Akkarin moved them backward, but the shifting area of earth followed them. Through the dirt-filled air, Sonea saw the Ichani marching across the disturbed ground towards them.  
Akkarin sent a dozen strikes at the Ichani. At the same time, a dozen weaker ones streaked from the direction of the gates. The Sachakans glanced to the side.  
Sonea gasped as she saw the figure standing just inside the gates. Blue robes swirled around the man as he walked forwards.  
‘Lorlen!’ Sonea gasped. But how could that be? Lorlen was dead. Or was he…?  
Karkio sent a blast of energy towards the Administrator. It flashed through the magician and struck the gates. The bars of metal a=shattered, filling the street beyond with glowing spears and fragments.  
Lorlen had vanished. Sonea blinked. It had been an illusion. Hearing a chuckle, she looked up to see Akkarin smiling grimly. Kariko and his companions looked unimpressed. They resumed their assault with greater ferocity.  
Akkarin threw a rain of strikes at Kariko, testing the Ichani’s shield. Kariko sent powerful blasts back. Akkarin sent a great net of heatstrike out, curving around to hit Kariko from all sides, just as Sonea had done in her last bout against Regin in the Challenge. She reached inside to judge the amount of power she had remaining; the battle so far had hardly dented the power she had taken from the arena. She increased the strength of the shield as the barrage of attacks continued.  
‘LOOK TO THE GATES!’  
The voice came from the top of the University. Looking up, she saw Balkan on the roof of the building, pointing towards the gates. Spinning around, she took an involuntary step backward as she saw broken and bent black spears flying towards her – the remnants of the gates. They clattered into her shield and fell to the ground. She glanced at Akkarin to see his eyes narrowed in concentration.  
—The Ichani are weakening, Akkarin sent.  
Sonea looked at the Ichani. Kariko stood straight and smiling. The rest of the Ichani looked no less confident, but the strikes against her shield had weakened.  
Akkarin took a step forward, then another. Kariko’s face darkened. Sonea followed as Akkarin began to walk towards them. She sent her own strikes at the Ichani and felt a surge of satisfaction as they backed away.  
As she felt the soft soil beneath her feet she realised that the shards of the broken gate were inside their shield, and she also thought she saw a glimpse of gold. She grabbed Akkarin’s arm and gave them both a strong shield at skin level, and not a moment too soon. A golden knife surged out of the soil towards Akkarin’s chest. Sonea felt the knife hit the shield and let out a breath as it dropped away back into the soil.  
Sonea heard Kariko growl in frustration.  
—I have an idea, but I cannot strike and carry it out whilst holding both these shields  
—What do you need me to do?  
—Take on the inner shield, then cover your eyes and stop striking when I tell you.  
Akkarin poured his power into the inner shield as Sonea reduced her input.  
—Ready? NOW!  
Sonea closed her eyes and covered her face as she simultaneously turned the outer shield into a bright ball of light and expanded it so that it covered the Ichani as well. The battering of both their shields reduced to nothing as the Ichani instinctively covered their eyes. Using the levitation disc Sonea removed herself and Akkarin from the light shield and back into the dusk, then made the light disappear.  
—Uncover your eyes and strike them with all we’ve got whilst they’re blind!  
Opening her eyes, Sonea focused everything at Kariko and his allies.  
The Ichani leader staggered backwards. For a moment his shield held, then his mouth opened in a silent scream as heatstrike burned through his body. The next man backed away but managed only a few steps before the onslaught of magic shattered his shield and burned through him. She felt a surge of triumph. The last Ichani stood his ground. She felt her power reserves depleting rapidly and she felt a rush of fear as the he began to advance.  
—Join our strikes! Akkarin’s voice punched through the fear.  
She sent out the last part of her magic and watched as it joined with Akkarin’s magic. The Ichani’s eyes widened as his shield wavered. Then, as the last of her magic flowed out, it fell. Heatstrike tore through him and he crumpled to the ground.  
Balkan’s mental transmission ended. All was silent. Sonea stared at the three bodies lying before the University. A wave of exhaustion washed over her.  
‘Sonea!’ Akkarin cried out as she crumpled to the ground. He could do nothing to stop her since he was just as exhausted. As Akkarin’s arms wrapped around her Sonea turned to look up at him.  
‘We did it,’ she whispered hoarsely, ‘we did it.’ With shaking hands, Sonea ran her fingers over his face, then leant in and kissed him.


	2. The High Lord - Chapter 39: A New Position (Part 1)

A gentle warmth caressing Sonea’s face woke her from her sleep. Blinking in the low light of the room, dark curtains blocking out the afternoon sunshine, her gaze immediately fell upon Akkarin’s sleeping face. She drew in a small sharp breath. She had never seen him this peaceful, even during the time she watched him sleep in Sachaka. He looked so much younger, like he hadn’t faced all the horrific trials in his life. She continued to watch him for several minutes, hardly daring to breathe. She didn’t want him to wake only to remember all that he, that they, had lost yesterday. Especially Lorlen.  
A sudden and deep ache appeared in Sonea’s chest at the thought of never seeing Lorlen striding through the University. He had been so nice to her, she only wished that she could have seen him again rather than having her last memory of him begging her to stay in Kyralia. Maybe he would still be alive if she had.  
A movement against her side bought her out of that dark place within her mind. Akkarin’s arms circled her waist and she slipped her hands beneath his arms so they could lie chest to chest, legs entangled. His face tucked into her neck as she laid her head against his chest.  
Sonea, listening to the pounding of Akkarin’s heart, felt the rise and fall of his chest increase as he took shallower and shallower breaths. She clutched him tighter as a small sob escaped, then another, and another. The sound was heart-breaking. Tentatively, Sonea brushed her mind against Akkarins, trying to give more support than just physically being there.  
Akkarin let a small stream of consciousness through, enough to let her feel his intense pain at losing Lorlen and his gratitude and love for her being there to comfort him. Soneas vision blurred as she held the strong, courageous man she had grown to love within her arms as he cried for the loss of his best friend.

A while later, Akkarins sobs became less frequent and his breaths slowed and deepened. Sonea felt his lips move against the skin of her neck,  
‘Thank you.’ He breathed, barely audible, ‘I am sorry you had to witness that.’  
Shocked, Sonea pulled away so that she could look him in the eye. ‘Don’t you dare be sorry. You just lost your closest friend, and if I have to hold you every night for the next fifty years then so be it.’  
‘I hope I don’t feel like this for the next fifty years,’ he whispered, looking away.  
Sonea freed an arm to place it gently against the side of his face, encouraging him to look back up at her. ‘I’m not saying you will, but what I am saying is that I am always going to be there for you when you need me to be.’  
Akkarin pressed his lips into Soneas palm, ‘and I am always going to be there for you. No one but us knows what we’ve been through to achieve this. I am never going to let you go, unless you want me to of course.’  
Hesitantly, Sonea leaned in and placed a light kiss upon his lips then rested her head against his. ‘I don’t want to let you go either.’  
This time it was Akkarin who instigated the kiss. It started out slow and careful, desire coursed through her veins as Akkarin pulled her closer, the kiss becoming hungrier. Sonea’s hand threaded through his long silky hair as he left a trail of kisses up her jaw and down her neck.  
A knock at the door stopped them in their tracks. Akkarin slumped, groaning in disappointment, as Sonea laughed lightly.

Since Akkarin has ended up lying slightly on top of her, Sonea pressed lightly against his chest so that he rolled away to his side of the bed.  
Pushing herself up, Sonea leaned against the backboard and curled her legs beneath her. Akkarin shuffled slightly so that they sat only inches apart, his long legs stretched out beneath the covers.  
Shooting a small half smile at Sonea, Akkarin glanced towards the door and it opened to reveal Takan carrying a tray full of food.  
‘Good afternoon, master. Good afternoon, my Lady.’ He stepped into the room, ‘I heard you talking, and I have prepared some food. Would you like it in bed? It’s not messy food.’  
‘That would be wonderful, thank you Takan.’ Akkarin replied, and Takan moved to place the tray on the bed. ‘What time is it, and what news of the Guild?’  
‘It is three hours after midday, and from what I have heard, which isn’t much since I stayed here to make sure no one disturbed you, is that there have been a few meetings about various things to do with the city and the Guild. However, I believe you will learn more later as I have been told to inform you that your presence is needed in the Night Room tonight.’  
Akkarin sighed, and Sonea detected that it wasn’t his favourite place to be. ‘Thank you, Takan.’  
Takan bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him.  
‘Am I going to their meeting tonight as well?’  
‘They probably mean just me, but I don’t think I could face everyone alone. I’ll make sure that it’s either both of us or none at all.’  
Sonea nodded in (agreement) and turned her attention towards the food. Her stomach had been growling since the food had entered the room, she hadn’t eaten since they had made the blood gems for each other at Cerys table. 

Once they had both eaten their fill, Sonea shifted so that she was lying with her back against Akkarins chest, his arms loosely circled her waist.  
‘It seems that we have a couple of hours to kill. What do you want to do?’  
‘I am quite happy doing this, or we could go on a walk?’  
Sonea looked up at Akkarin, ‘would it be too painful to go up to the river source?’  
‘No, I think that’s a good idea. Do you want to go now?’  
‘I seem to be well rested considering everything we’ve been through recently.’ She felt inwards to look at the source of her power, ‘and I have gained nearly my usual amount of power back.’  
‘Hmmm, I have as well. However, I do like staying in bed.’  
Sonea raised an eyebrow, and Akkarin smiled wryly. ‘Before, I had the image of the all-powerful High Lord to maintain, it wouldn’t do for me to be seen lazing about. But now, I am a free man… of sorts. I can finally get all the lie ins I deserve, and it’s even better now that I have someone to share them with.’  
‘Ok then, I suppose we can stay here a bit longer.’ Sonea rested her head in the crook of his neck and relished in the ever-growing love that they shared.

 

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Rothen reached the end of the corridor and looked up. After the devastation of the city, the undamaged majesty of the Great Hall was both heartening and somehow shameful. The Ichani Invasion, as the five days of death and destruction were now referred to, had been a battle between magicians. It seemed wrong that nothing within the Guild grounds had been damaged, with the exception of the ground outside the University and the depletion of the power in the Arena, when much of the Inner Circle was in ruins.  
He crossed to the Guildhall, and slipped between the doors. The meeting of the Higher Magicians was to take place in one of the small preparation rooms at the front of the hall. Until a new Administrator was elected, it was considered inappropriate to use Lorlen’s office.  
Reaching the preparation room door, Rothen knocked. It swung open. As he stepped inside, he noted the magicians present, knowing that he was glimpsing the faces of the Guild’s future hierarchy of power.  
Lord Balkan paced the room. It was obvious from the way the others had automatically turned to him for leadership that he was a strong candidate for High Lord. Lord Osen watched Balkan calmly. Though clearly still deeply upset by Lorlen’s death, he had gained a quiet purposefulness since being given the task of organising the city’s recovery. Lorlen had been grooming Osen as his replacement for the last few years, so it would surprise no-one if the young man was elected Administrator.  
So many Warriors had died that only a few candidates remained for the Head of the Warriors. Lord Garrel had been present for the last few meetings, which Rothen felt didn’t bode well for the future. Balkan had also been managing the lesser Head of Warrior Studies role, but Rothen had heard the man suggest that the position would be filled by another at a future date, so perhaps Garrrel’s sly, narrow-minded ways would be counter-balanced by a Warrior of more sensible character.  
Lady Vinara would remain Head of Healers. Director Jerrick had made no indication he wanted to change his position, and no-one had suggested it. Lord Telano would probably remain Head of Healing Studies. No mention had been made of choosing someone for the role of Expatriate Administrator so far.  
Lord Peakin would probably replace Lord Sarrin. One of the older teachers would be given Head of Alchemic Studies position, Rothen guessed. He could not help wondering, now and then, who his superior would be, but most of the time he was concerned with more important matters. Like Sonea, and Akkarin, he supposed.  
And they were clearly the reason the Higher Magicians had summoned him today. As Balkan noticed Rothen’s entrance he stopped pacing.  
‘How are they?’  
Rothen sighed, shrugging. ‘I don’t know. I haven’t seen them since yesterday. Sonea and Akkarin were exhausted after the battle. You saw what they did, it takes time for someone to recover from a battle of that magnitude. This will be especially hard on Sonea since she has had little practice at these sorts of things, Arena fights just don’t prepare you enough. I did try and go see them earlier this afternoon but Taken refused to let me see either of them, they must have still been asleep.  
‘Well,’ Balkan said. ‘Taken has been given a message to make sure that Akkarin is present in the Night Room tonight so I guess we will see him there later.’  
‘Yes, I delivered the message to Taken myself this morning,’ Osen injected. ‘He assured me that Akkarin would get the message in time to be present.’  
‘What’s going to happen to them?’ Rothen asked, a slight hesitance in his tone.  
‘They need to be told where they stand within the Guild. There’s no doubt that we need to keep them here,’ Vinara answered. ‘We cannot send them away again, especially now that they saved Imardin practically single handedly no less.’  
Balkan nodded and let out a heavy sigh. ‘You’re right, of course.’ He looked around at the other magicians. ‘Very well, their positions and restrictions will be presented at the meeting tonight and then again at a meet later in the week to finalise the decision.’  
‘The restrictions have already been discussed, when Sarrin was chosen,’ Peakin pointed out.  
‘The restrictions ought to be refined,’ Garrel said. ‘At the moment the only requirements are that they remain within the Guild’s grounds, cannot hold a position of authority, and cannot teach. It should be spelt out that they cannot use their powers unless requested by us all.’  
Rothen resisted a smile. Us all? Garrel was certainly confident of gaining Balkan’s position.  
Vinara looked at Rothen. ‘What do you suggest, Rothen?’  
‘I don’t think Sonea will agree to any restrictions that keeps her within the Guild grounds.’  
Balkan frowned. ‘Why not?’  
‘She has always wanted to use her powers to help the poor. It was something to hold onto,’ he glanced side-ways at Garrel, ‘in difficult times. Don’t take that from her.’  
Vinara smiled thinly. ‘And I suppose if he proposed she undertake some kind of charitable work in the city, it would give her a reason to stay with us.’  
Rothen nodded. ‘I think that if Sonea stays then Akkarin will too, I don’t think he’s going to leave her side for anything. If we try to banish him again then she will go with him. They will not be parted.’  
Balkan crossed his arms. His fingers drummed against his sleeve. ‘That will also help us regain the favour of the people. We didn’t prove to be particularly effective defenders. I’ve heard that some even blame us for the Invasion.’  
‘Surely not!’ Garrel exclaimed.  
‘It’s true,’ Osen said quietly. ‘Even though we have lost nearly half our Guild members, and they lost only a few. They only see the destruction that we have caused to the places where they live.’  
Garrel scowled. ‘Ungrateful dwells.’  
‘Actually, it was certain members of the Houses who expressed that opinion on their return to the city.’ Osen added. ‘Including members of the House Paren, if I recall correctly.’  
Garrel blinked in surprise, then flushed.  
‘Should we extend the area of confinement to the city, then?’ Telano suggested.  
‘The idea of confinement was to ensure our black magician didn’t have access to large number of victims, should he or she grow hungry for power,’ Peakin said. ‘What is the point of having an area of confinement, when it includes the highest density of population in the country?’  
Rothen chuckled. ‘And you’d have to persude the King to redefine what is considered part of the city. I don’t think Sonea intended to restrict her help to those within the Outer Wall.’  
‘Confinement is clearly unworkable,’ Vinara said. ‘I suggest an escort.’  
All eyes turned to her. Balkan nodded approvingly.  
‘And if the help she wants to give is Healing, she still has many years of training to complete.’ Vinara looked at Rothen.  
He nodded. ‘I’m sure she’s aware of that. My son has expressed a wish to teach her. If he is to assist her in this work, it could be more of a formal arrangement.’  
She pursed her lips. ‘It would not be appropriate for her to return to classes. It is not wise for a healer to have only one teacher, however. I will assist as well.’  
Rothen nodded, suddenly too overwhelmed by gratitude to speak. He listened as the other continued to debate.  
‘What of Akkarin?’ Peakin asked.  
The circle of magicians fell into silence.  
‘As Rothen said they will not be parted, and I do not know his mind. Lorlen knew him best, he would have known what to do.’ Vinara stated.  
The others nodded, a sombre air filling the room at the reminder of those they had lost in the past week.  
‘He will have to be asked tonight how he thinks he may aide the Guild in the future.’ Balkan said, ‘he cannot teach, nor can he make decisions for the Guild.’  
‘Maybe, to begin with, he could write a record of the Invasion and the events leading up to it?’ Rothen suggested, ‘and then we could decide a new role at a later date once everything has settled.’  
‘That sounds like a fine idea,’ Balkan said, ‘I think the role would suit him. We will ask him tonight; he may also have other ideas that we can discuss.’  
A small pause ensued.  
‘So will we still call them “Black Magicians”?’ Peakin asked.  
‘Yes,’ Balkan replied.  
‘And what colour robes will they wear?’  
There was a short silence.  
‘Black,’ Osen said quietly.  
‘But the High Lord’s are black,’ Telano pointed out.  
Osen nodded. ‘Perhaps it is time to change the High Lord’s robes. Black will always remind people of black magic, which, despite everything, we do not want to encourage people to think of us wholly good and desirable. We need something fresh and clean.’  
‘White,’ Vinara said.  
Osen nodded. ‘Yes.’  
As the others voiced their agreement, Balkan made a strangled noise.  
‘White!’ he exclaimed. ‘You can’t be serious. It’s impractical, and impossible to keep clean.’  
Vinara smiled. ‘Now what would a High Lord be involved in that might stain his white robes?’  
‘A little excess wine consumption, maybe? Jerrick murmured.  
The other chuckled.  
‘White it is, then,’ Osen said.  
‘Wait,’ Balkan looked from face to face, then shook his head. ‘Why do I find myself thinking that you’ve made your minds up, and I won’t win any argument about it?’  
‘It’s a good sign,’ Vinara said. ‘One that suggests we have chosen a good strong set of people to be our Higher Magicians.’ She looked around the group, then smiled as her eyes met Rothen’s. ‘You still haven’t guessed, have you Lord Rothen?’  
He stared at her, puzzled by her sudden question. ‘Guessed what?’  
‘Of course, it still has to be put to the vote, but I don’t expect anyone will protest.’  
‘About what?’  
Her smile widened. ‘Congratulations, Rothen. You’re to be our new Head of Alchemic Studies.’

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

From the top of the two-story house, it was possible to see that the rubble formed a perfect circle. It was a sobering sight.  
Yet another to add to my list, Cery thought. Along with the ruins of the city walls, and the growing lines of bodies that the Guild had laid out across the lawn in front of the University.  
He shivered and and made himself look down again. Hundreds of workers were sorting through the rubble. A few people had been found alive, buried near the edges of the destruction. It was impossible to know how many had been hiding in the houses when they were blasted to ruins. Most were probably dead.  
All because of him. He should have paid more attention so Savara’s warnings about what would happen when an Ichani died. But he had been too concerned with finding a way to kill a magician to think about how his people might survive the consequences.  
‘Back here again?’  
Arms wound about his waist. A familiar spicy aroma filled his senses. His heart lightened for a moment, then began to hurt again.  
‘Must you go?’ he whispered.  
‘Yes,’ Savara replied.  
‘We could use your help.’  
‘No. You don’t need me. Certainly not as a Sachakan magician. And you have plenty of volunteers to do non-magical work.’  
‘I need you.’  
She sighed. ‘No, Cery. You need someone you can trust, completely and unconditionally. I will never be that person.’  
He nodded. She was right.  
But it didn’t make parting easier.  
Her arms tightened. ‘I’ll miss you,’ she added quietly. ‘If… if I’m welcome, I’ll drop in whenever my duties take me this way.’  
He turned to face her and lifted one eyebrow as if considering.  
‘I might have a few bottles of Anuren dark left,’  
She smiled broadly and he could not help feeling better, even if it was just for a moment. Ever since the final battle, he had felt a terrible fear of loss, and he had tried to keep her from leaving. But Savara didn’t belong in Kyralia. Not now. And he was letting his heart’s demands overtake common-sense. That was something a Thief should never do.  
Hooking a finger under her chin, he lifted her head and kissed her, slowly and firmly. Then he stepped back.  
‘Go on, then. Go home. I don’t like long goodbyes.’  
She smiled, then turned away. He watched her saunter to the hatch in the roof, then descend through the ceiling below. When she was gone, he turned to regard the workers again.  
Much had changed. He must be ready for the consequences. Snippets of information had come his way, and he was probably not the only one to realise what they might lead to. If the King did truly intend to end the yearly Purge, there would be one less reason for the Thieves to work together. And there were rumours of certain deals already being made between the other underworld leaders.  
He smiled and straightened his shoulders. He had prepared for a day when Akkarin’s support ended, he doubted that the other Guild magicians would give Akkarin much free rein now. Deals had been made with useful and powerful people. Wealth and been stowed, and information gathered. His position was strong.  
Soon he would find out if it was strong enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading! I am working on next parts, but I'm kinda busy at the moment but I'll put them up eventually :)  
> ~ Bee


End file.
